Hundreds take to the streets to stop gun violence in Brockton

City teen Johnny Burgos isn't sure how to stop gun violence in the city.

“No one knows how to fight these days. They just pull out guns,” said Burgos, 16, whose cousin, Jose Gurley, 17, was shot dead on the city's North side more than two weeks ago.

But the teen united with other residents Wednesday night to march through calm city streets.

Chanting, “We want peace in Brockton's streets,” hundreds of residents and community leaders walked about 3 miles from North Junior High School, through downtown and some of the city's roughest neighborhoods, to South Middle School.

Surrounded by police escorts, several walkers held handmade banners and signs with messages against violence. Others wore T-shirts bearing photographs of residents who have died from gun violence.

Ramona Jones wore a T-shirt bearing a photograph of her son, Anthony Weeks, who was shot to death near her Belmont Street home in 2002 at age 16.

Jones, 47, said she walked “to make a difference, to keep our community safe and keep the guns off the street.”

Walkers stopped at Arthur Paquin Way, where Gurley was gunned down July 21, and held a moment of silence there for the slain teen.

Another moment of silence was held at Winthrop Street, where 18-year-old Mateus Mendes was critically wounded in a brazen daytime shooting July 25.

The peace parade wound through North Warren and Warren avenues and Tremont, Nilsson and West Chestnut streets.

Residents watching the parade from their porches joined the chanting, and cars driving by honked their horns.

“It was really great. People just came out of the woodwork. We stopped foot traffic, car traffic, everybody,” said Ollie Jay Spears, chairman of the Mayor's Advisory Council and parade organizer.

Before the walk, religious leaders prayed for the violence to stop.

Speaking into a public address system from a police car, the Rev. Diane Johnson of the Lighthouse of Faith in Christ Church urged residents to help city teens stay off the streets.

“We will hold on to our children, to our youth,” Johnson said. “We know that they need jobs. They need job training. We know the fear. We know the anger. And we need to do something about it.”

Irma Lopes walked with her 9-year-old daughter, Celena, out of concern for her community.

“I am for peace, (and want) to tell the community to be good, to behave, and to tell all the kids to love, not to make crime,” said Lopes, 42.

The parade was one example of residents mobilizing in recent days to stop gun violence in the city.

On Sunday, parents are invited to attend a special meeting at St. Edith Stein Catholic Church at 71 East Main St. to discuss struggles teens face on city streets. The 2:30 p.m. meeting will follow the 1 p.m. Cape Verdean Mass.

Spears, 32, a married father of three who grew up in city housing projects, said he will continue to involve the community to end the violence.

“It was very emotional,” Spears said later Wednesday about the parade turnout. “People really care about Brockton.”

Maria Papadopoulos can be reached at mpapadopoulos@enterprisenews.com.